Bacon rolls and bubbles at Waterlooville Leisure Centre bash

‘A symbol of maritime might in the navy for the next 50 years’

HONOURED guests, including the Mayor of Havant, celebrated the 20th anniversary of one of the area’s most popular community leisure centres.

Waterlooville Leisure Centre, which is run by the charitable trust Horizon, welcomes around 500,000 visitors each year.

The manager throughout that time has been Maria Wilkinson, who was presented with a commemorative photograph of the centre, in Waterberry Drive, for her outstanding contribution.

And so too were Havant Borough Council Honorary Aldermen Ken and Penny Moss for championing the building of the centre in 1991.

A certificate of achievement and free lifetime swim membership was presented to Judith Malinson who was the first swimmer to use the pool when it opened in 1991 and still swims at the centre almost every day.

Chief executive Howard Broad was delighted with the celebrations.

He said: ‘It was a fantastic and joyous occasion attended by representatives from the council, the operators and by a large number of customers, many of whom had been using the centre since it opened.

‘The event was a little different than normal as guests celebrated with an early morning breakfast which included champagne and bacon rolls.

‘Over the past 20 years the centre has hosted approximately 10m visits proving just what a valuable community leisure facility it is.’